When you sit at 3-0 in the National Football League and have two wins of 22+ points, it's no secret why the Minnesota Vikings are one of the biggest storylines. The quarterback position is the main reason why the Vikings are in such a great spot.
Sam Darnold has thrown eight touchdowns to just two interceptions this season and was so good against the Houston Texans that he won the Nickelodeon NVP award. His success has been incredible to watch thus far and it's getting him noticed nationally.
Sam Darnold is a top five quarterback
The success that Darnold is having isn't a mistake. Head coach Kevin O'Connell has done a tremendous job helping Darnold thrive with the right surroundings and infrastructure. It's gotten so good that ESPN's Dan Orlovsky named him the third-best quarterback in the National Football League right now.
"Number three, listen, Andy Dalton's not the only balling redhead in the NFL right now. Don't put man coverage, if you play man coverage, versus Sam Darnold, he's gonna score 30 plus on you. His connection, Justin Jefferson he's doing it without (Jordan) Addison, he's doing it without (T.J.) Hockenson, Kevin O'Connell, arguably, coach of the year right now with Matt Lafleur, making things super good for Sam Darnold."
It is worth noting that Orlovsky is strictly talking about how well they are playing and not anything else. It's completely fair to say Darnold is a top-five quarterback with those parameters.
The intrigue with Darnold against man coverage is real. According to the Fantasy Points data suite which charts coverages and a multitude of other things, Darnold has completed 11-of-17 passes for 241 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions on 21 dropbacks. Now, he has taken three sacks in those dropbacks but the a 147.7 passer rating is tremendous, even though it's a small sample size.
The Vikings have been an excellent story this season and it's likely going to continue.
